The San Francisco Giants were busy this winter and did make some key moves, despite losing out on stars such as Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, and Carlos Rodon.
They managed to sign veterans Ross Stripling and Sean Manaea to two-year deals in order to bolster their starting rotation and make up for the departure of Rodon.
But the signing of Stripling almost didn’t happen.
In fact, according to Toronto Blue Jays analyst Shi Davidi, Stripling almost re-signed with Toronto and was strongly considering doing so.
Stripling reportedly enjoyed his time with the Blue Jays and said that he would have gone back if they had given him the right offer.
“I loved it, I would have gone back in a heartbeat.”
Caught up with Ross Stripling, who last week became a dad for the second time. He’s settling in nicely with the Giants, who just nudged past the Blue Jays at the end of his free agency to get him: https://t.co/Jha0T5ozqR
—Shi Davidi (@ShiDavidi) March 13, 2023
Stripling’s deal with the Giants is for two years and $25 million.
It also includes an opt-out clause after year one, meaning that the veteran right-hander could hit the free agent market again this coming winter.
The 33-year-old went 10-4 with a 3.01 ERA in 32 appearances and 24 starts with the Blue Jays in 2022.
The right-hander has spent most of his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers and won a ring with the team in 2020, despite being traded away to Toronto.
But it appears that the Giants may not have been Stripling’s first choice this offseason.
Clearly, he enjoyed Toronto and would have gone back to the Blue Jays if the right offer had been there.
Ultimately, the Giants had other plans and gave him the exact offer he was hoping for this winter.
Now, he’ll have a chance to be a steady presence in San Francisco’s rotation.
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